


Pumpernickel

by chibi_nightowl



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Capes, Dogs, First Dates, Inappropriate Materials for Balloon Animals, Language, M/M, holiday fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-01
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2018-09-27 18:01:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10037405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chibi_nightowl/pseuds/chibi_nightowl
Summary: “This better not turn into a101 Dalmatians, buddy. Only one of us is hopefully getting laid here soon and it’s sure as hell not you.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GoAwayOlivia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoAwayOlivia/gifts).



> Because GoAwayOlivia had to make a comment about Jason having a dog.

It’s a cool and quiet morning in the park. The early morning sunlight filters softly through the new spring leaves and the green grass is still damp with dew. There’s a sleepy quality to the atmosphere, like nature herself is still waking up. 

The calm is broken as Jason runs as hard and fast as he can through the park, jumping benches and low walls like they're nothing and weaving between trees and the occasional bush but in the end, it's all for naught. His dog has well and truly escaped him, chasing after a damn cat that just _had_ to cross the field where he was playing fetch with his so-called best friend before he has to go to work. 

Nickel is a bumbling overeager mutt that thinks he's a lapdog when he weighs well over 50 pounds. Jason's positive there's golden retriever in him somewhere as that would explain a hell of a lot. But, as he gasps for breath and stares in the direction his dog disappeared in, all he can do is curse between breaths, at the dog for running and at himself for not having quit smoking sooner as he feels he's about to pass out over lack of oxygen. 

"Goddamn mutt," he breathes hard, leaning over with his hands braced on his denim-clad knees. "Brainless. Utterly brainless." 

But in the pit of his stomach, Jason is worried. That's _his_ brainless mutt. 

Sucking it up, he starts jogging again, calling Nickel's name as he goes. 

Twenty minutes later, Jason's combed every inch of the west end of the park. He's hot and sweaty and his lungs _burn_. But he still hasn't found his dog. He stares warily at the wrought iron gates that open out into Gotham traffic. Even at this early hour, there are still plenty of cars driving by. Before he has a chance to start panicking, his cell phone starts to ring. Pulling it from his pocket, he glances at it. 

The number is unknown to him. _But Nickel's wearing his collar and my number is on the tag_. Taking a chance, Jason swipes the screen and answers. 

"Hello?" He's still out of breath, making his voice deeper and more gruff than usual. 

"Um, hello? Is this Nickel's owner?" A male voice asks, sounding uncertain. 

"Oh thank fuck," Jason gasps before he realizes what he's said. "Yes! Yes, I am. Did you find him?" 

A low chuckle answers him. "I did. He got tangled up in my dog's leash when he came running out of nowhere after a cat." 

"Stupid mutt. He loves cats. Are you in the park? I'm right in front of the west entrance by the gates." 

"Oh, good. Yeah, we're not far. I'll be there in a few minutes." 

The call disconnects and Jason takes the time to finish catching his breath. He's still feeling hot and his feet hurt from all the running he'd done in his Doc Martens. He'd dressed for a walk, not a cross-country race. 

It's not long before Jason hears a _woof_ and sees a familiar dark brown dog straining at his collar, tugging futilely against the firm grip of a young dark haired man. He can't help but notice the other guy _is_ dressed for running. And looking very nice in those loose running pants, perfect for the beautiful spring day. Another dog, slightly smaller than Nickel with long white and gray fur, tugs at their leash as well in excitement. 

Jason jogs towards them. "Pumpernickel, you moron!" he shouts as he falls to his knees in front of his dog to hug tight around his neck. "You damn mutt," he swears affectionately. 

Nickel licks his face in response and Jason slips his leash back on. Looking up, he sees the other man smiling brightly. "Thank you so fucking much for finding him. He's never bolted like this before." 

"You're welcome," the young man replies easily. "It was no problem, really. I'd just hope someone would do the same if it were Jupiter who'd run." 

Jason holds out his hand for the other dog to sniff before giving in and running a hand through its beautiful coat. “In a heartbeat,” he says and glances up at the dog’s owner just in time to catch the other man looking away quickly. _Well then…_ Standing up, Jason holds out his hand. “I’m Jason. And seriously, I owe you like a dozen coffees or something.” 

A surprisingly firm grip returns the handshake. “Tim. And I live on coffee.” Bright blue eyes flash in amusement. 

As tempting as it is to drag Tim to a coffee shop and get his flirt on right now, Jason knows he’s already running late for work. “Rain check on that? This idiot’s made me late for work.” 

“Of course,” Tim replies, though he does look a little disappointed. 

Jason can’t have that. “There’s a place I like over on Webb and 4th, not far from here. What’s your evening looking like?” 

“I know the place, love it.” Tim grins. “And wide open.” 

Jason returns the grin and makes sure he gives Tim an appreciative (and obvious) once over. “Tonight, 7:30 sound good?" 

“I’ll be there.” Tim returns the look with one of his own. Jason can’t help but preen, though he tries to hide it. 

As they walk home, he can’t help but give Nickel an affectionate rub behind his ears. The morning, despite the shitty turn of events, has turned out much better than Jason expected. “This better not turn into a _101 Dalmatians_ , buddy. Only one of us is hopefully getting laid here soon and it’s sure as hell not you.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I needed fluff this afternoon. Who else needs fluff? Here's some fluff! Enjoy!

“…So I left Jupiter’s leash on a rock to dry and toweled her off. We left and it wasn’t until we were halfway home that I realized I forgot her leash.” Tim grins and shakes his head in bemusement. 

Jason laughs and leans back in his chair, the shift in position doing wonders in showing off his broad shoulders. “Did you turn around?” 

“Yeah, we did. Not like I had anything else planned for that day besides some work in the evening.” Tim pauses and takes a sip of coffee, surreptitiously taking another glance at the good-looking man sitting across from him. He still can’t believe this is how his day turned out. 

_Doing a good deed is paying itself back in spades. Nickel’s a sweet dog, if not too bright, but his owner is smart as a tack_. _He’s in great shape too. All that muscle…damn, but it makes me wish I did more than just running and some free weights when I remember._

“So what kind of work do you do?” Jason asks, blue-green eyes staring intently at Tim. “Sounds like you get to make your own hours.” 

“I’m a network security consultant. So yes, I do get to make my own hours most of the time.” 

Jason’s dark brows narrow slightly. “Okay, correct me if I’m wrong, but does that mean you get to hack people for a living?” 

Tim nods slowly. He gets this a lot. “I do. Basically, a company hires me to test how secure their network is, along with their Web site. I find the holes and show them how to fix ‘em.” 

“How on earth did you get into that?” Jason asks in disbelief. 

“I’ve always been good with computers. My sister-in-law runs her own IT firm, so that gave me the starting point after college.” 

The big man across the table chuckles wryly. “That sounds so much cooler than my job.” 

Tim wraps his hands around the warm coffee mug. “Which is what exactly? Something that has you getting up pretty early, that’s for sure. Jupiter and I usually have the park to ourselves.” 

Jason takes a sip of his tea and shrugs. “I’m a structural engineer for a construction firm. Nothing too glamorous. I get to spend all day at construction sites to make sure the building doesn’t fall down around our heads.” 

An image of Jason in a hard hat and a construction vest with blue prints in hand comes to mind. _Of course, I have to go all Village People here, but damn, I bet he’s amazing without a shirt on. And in ripped jeans._ “That sounds pretty interesting.” 

The two men talk for a while longer. By the time they get ready to leave, Tim knows he’s falling hard for the other man. Jason is smart, well read, handsome as hell, and can cook. He may be a bit rough around the edges, but that makes him more unique. He’s made something of himself, something that many of Tim’s so-called peers can hardly claim. 

Not to mention his dog is a lovable bumbling idiot. 

As they walk out the door of the coffee shop, Jason gives Tim a small smile and rubs the back of his head awkwardly. “Thank you again for finding Nickel this morning. And for meeting me here tonight. I mean, you don’t know me at all and…” 

Tim grins as he fumbles around for his car keys. “Yeah, but I know dogs. You can tell a lot about a person by how their dog behaves around them. And even though you were swearing up a storm when we found you, Nickel wasn’t afraid of you. Neither was Jupiter and she’s not an easy lady to please.” 

Jason tosses his head back and laughs loudly, his face lighting up with one of the most amazing smiles Tim’s ever seen. His fingers _itch_ for a camera to capture this moment forever. “Does that mean you want to do this again sometime?” he asks hopefully. 

Tim blinks stupidly for a moment as he processes the question, then nods vigorously. “Yes! I mean, if you want to.” _Smooth Drake, real smooth. Jason’s only the best thing to come your way in_ forever _and now I sound like a teenager instead of the well-adjusted adult I am._

“I do want to.” Jason shoves his hands into the pockets of his brown leather jacket. “I’m home by six most nights and I’ve almost always got the weekends off. Wanna get dinner sometime?” 

_Yes! Oh my god, yes!_ “Is tomorrow too soon?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special shout-out to Some1 for planting the idea of Engineer!Jason. I know this isn't quite what you had in mind, but hey, I needed an excuse for Jason to be up that early in the morning. :P


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't expect to update this little story again, but after a walk with the hubby and our dog last night and some of his random observations on the Christmas lights in our neighborhood, I couldn't resist.

Jason waits with Nickel just inside the west entrance to the park. It’s early evening and the wind is blowing, but there’s no snow yet, so hopefully the night won’t suck too horribly. He and Tim, along with Jupiter and Nickel, are taking a walk through the neighborhood for a change to look at Christmas lights. The night air is cold and he already wishes he had another layer on. Usually his lined flannel jacket and hood are enough over his usual henley and t-shirt, but apparently he’d misjudged this when he left. 

At least he’s remembered gloves. 

Nickel is snuffling around the bushes, looking ridiculous in his red sweater, but he’s got a thin coat and his belly is practically bare thanks to the pit bull mixed in with whatever the hell else he is. He stops and whines at Jason, wanting to be let off his leash to run. 

“Relax, you spazz. Tim and Jupiter will be here soon,” he says. Nickel absolutely _loves_ Jupiter, which is all fine and dandy, but it’s definitely a good thing the big dog is neutered. He loves his friend a little too much, even though puppies are not a concern as Jupiter is spayed. He remembers Tim chasing after them one afternoon in the summer when they’d gone over to Tim’s brownstone for a barbeque. Why the man even has a grill when he doesn’t know how to use it is beyond him. 

Tim. Man, the last several months have quite possibly been the best ones of Jason’s life. They’d gone out to dinner together a few times, not to mention meeting up for coffee several more, before he got the balls to officially ask Tim out on a real date. 

The little shit had the gall to say he thought that’s what they were doing already. Jason paid him back by kissing him for the first time that night. 

And now, here they are almost eight months later about to celebrate Christmas together. 

Nickel tears Jason from his thoughts as he eagerly tugs on his leash. Looking up, he sees the object of his affections walking up to them, his pretty lady leading the way. Jupiter is apparently a mix of a greyhound and one of those afghan dogs, which does a lot to explain her coat. She has to be groomed regularly, which Tim can easily afford. He’s never obvious about it, but money isn’t a concern for him. It makes Jason jealous sometimes, but he doesn’t complain out loud as he knows his boyfriend works hard at what he does, just like he does with his job. Tim’s just pays better. 

“Hey!” Tim greets him brightly. He must have looked at the weather forecast because he’s bundled up more heavily than Jason is. At the same time, he looks completely ridiculous in his knitted purple hat with the white pom-pom on top. 

Jason can’t help but chuckle. “Let me guess. Stephanie made that.” He points to the hat as he tugs Tim in for a quick kiss. 

“Yeah,” Tim replies sheepishly. “But it’s warm, so that’s all that matters.” 

Jupiter whines and rubs her head against Jason’s leg. He grins as he kneels down to her level to give her head a good rub. The normally fussy dog loves him. “You can’t miss me already. I just saw you the day before yesterday.” 

“She’s not the only one who does.” Jason looks up in time to see Tim blush as he looks away from him. It’s a habit that he finds adorable. 

“What are you two gonna do when I go to that conference in Metropolis next month, huh?” he asks as he stands. Taking Tim’s hand, they walk out the gate together, their dogs leading the way. 

“I’ll be watching Nickel mope around my house and stay glued to my side,” Tim replies easily, squeezing Jason’s hand. 

“That’s what Jupiter did when you went to that tech conference in Vegas last month.” 

“Our dogs are so much smarter than we are,” Tim comments idly, but doesn’t elaborate at Jason’s quizzical look. 

He shrugs it off as they walk down the street and turn a corner. 

The south side of the park lets out on a few streets full of tightly packed brownstones. One of them is Tim’s, but his is farther away, closer to the east side of the park than where they’re heading now. Many residents have taken to stringing lights around their small garages or lining the steps leading up to their front doors. It’s colorful. It’s festive. 

It’s not something Jason would ever do on his own. He only put lights up in his own small apartment because he helped Tim hang his up last weekend. Nothing fancy, just a few strands above his kitchen cabinets. The effect looks nice, which isn’t something he thought he’d admit, even to himself. The holidays don’t mean all that much to him, but Tim loves them, so he’s making an effort. 

They walk up and down the streets, commenting here and there when something catches their attention. Neither are a fan of the blow-up displays, not that there’s a lot of space for them in the first place. The joys of not having a front yard and all. 

Jason can’t help but snicker when he sees a half-deflated snowman lying limp on someone’s front steps. 

“What?” Tim asks curiously as he rubs his nose. The cold wind is making it run slightly. 

“That,” he replies, pointing at the sad excuse for a snowman. “Looks like a deflated condom.” 

Tim gapes and then erupts in that little laugh-snort he does when he finds something Jason says funny but not quite socially acceptable. But he still gives the snowman an assessing look before finally nodding. “Yeah, I can see that. I’ve never seen you use condoms for balloons before.” 

“If anyone ever gets us a box of the colored ones, I’ll make fucking balloon animals outta them and leave them at their front door.” It’s not an idle threat either. He had the unfortunate pleasure of partnering up with Dick Grayson, adopted son of Bruce Wayne, during one of the random fine arts classes he had to take at GU when he was working on his degree. The man was a walking disaster, but he could also make balloon animals out of anything, a talent he shared with Jason. 

And there’s the laugh-snort again. He takes it as a victory. 

They keep walking and soon enough the large loop they’ve made is almost complete. Jason is cold, but it’s not too bad as long as he keeps moving. 

“So, what are you doing tomorrow?” Tim asks just before they reach the park gate. They’re on the east side this time as almost no one in their right mind will go after Jason and Nickel if they choose to walk through the park at night. 

“Gotta talk with my landlord,” he replies, rolling one of his shoulders to work out the kink from the constant pulling on the leash. “Almost time to renew my lease.” 

“Oh?” Tim replies casually. “When is that up?” 

“End of January. I know my rent is gonna go up. A few people I’ve talked to said theirs did.” Which blows because he’s already on a tight budget as it is. Sure he makes decent money, but his student loans kill him every month, even income adjusted as they are. “I wanna see what the damage is before I decide what the fuck to do.” 

Tim’s quiet for a moment, then comes back with the last thing Jason expects to hear. “You and Nickel can move in with me and Jupiter if you want.” 

He stops short, the movement so abrupt that Nickel keeps going before he realizes his master isn’t moving. Tim is a few steps ahead at this point and stops as well, turning around. A small smile is playing at the corner of his lips. 

“Are you for real?” Jason finally manages to get out. 

“I am,” the other man replies. “I’ve got the space, we can work out something where you end up with a little more money in your pocket each month, I get a personal cook, and Nickel doesn’t have to be lonely all day when you’re at work.” 

Jason is at a loss for words, which usually doesn’t happen to him. He eventually settles on a one-armed hug, tugging Tim in close and tucking his head under his chin, poof ball and all. “Thank you,” he whispers. 

Tim looks up at him and smiles. “I love you.” 

It’s not the first time he’s said it, but this time, it means more to Jason than the first time he heard those words. “I love you too.” 

As he leans down to kiss Tim, there’s a low _woof_ and a snuffle and then Nickel is up on his hind legs, knocking into both of them. Jupiter is already sitting nicely off to the side, clearly not having any part in the other dog’s antics. A colder gust of wind blows, heralding the start of the snow storm that’s been threatening all evening. Little flakes of snow start to fall. 

Tim laughs and rubs one of Nickel’s floppy ears. “Perhaps you two should stay the night. I have a fireplace.” He looks hopefully at Jason. 

There’s no way he can say no to those eyes. Has hardly been able to since day one. “I snuck a container of hot chocolate over last time I bought groceries.” 

“Well, then.” Tim’s smile grows brighter. “What are we waiting for?”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I may just write that coffee scene. Haven't decided yet.


End file.
